"If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?"(Psalm
11:3).

South African Laurens Van der Post
had a rock sitting on his living room table. When asked about the "strange
black stone," he responded that it came from fifteen thousand feet below
the surface of Africa. It was sent to him by a friend who, in the accompanying
letter, wrote: "This is a symbol of what you and I have tried to build on
all our lives."

We all build upon foundations. In the most literal sense, we build our lives
upon the rocks beneath our feet; but in another, we build our lives around
the principles that govern us. Atheists, religious fanatics, skeptics,
scientistseveryone governs their lives by fundamental principles, whether
they acknowledge those principles or not.

As Christians, our principles are found in and through the person of Jesus
Christ, the One in whom "we live, and move, and have our being"
(Acts
17:28). And yet, we know about Jesus through the Bible. So, the Bible,
in essence, works as the foundation for our lives and our faith. And, in
a sense, Genesis serves as the "foundation" of the Bible, kind of like the
"strange black stone" far beneath the earth that held up the ground immediately
beneath Laurens's feet.

This week, we'll take our first look at this book, the "bedrock" of the Bible
itself.

*Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 7.

SUNDAY

October 1

Genesis and the New Testament

The Pentateuch (the first five books found in our modern Bibles) comes from
a Greek term for "five." The five books, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
and Deuteronomy, provide the foundation for our biblical faith. It would
be hard to make much sense of our religion without them.

As the first of these five booksand, indeed, the first book in the
Bible itselfGenesis begins with the origin of our world. After all,
if we don't have our origins right, how easy it is to get everything else
wrong. If a builder working on the joints of a house gets the joint off by
a few degrees right from the start, before long the walls will be crooked
and unusable. Thus, Genesis begins with a clear and distinct message about
our origins.

Of course, the enemy of souls works hard to turn the world away from the
true God. One of his methods is to put doubt in our minds regarding the veracity
of the Bible. Genesis itself comes under fierce attack. If he can undermine
our faith in it, which is so foundational, how easy for him to undermine
our faith in everything else.

Are we going to listen to the critics who come up with all sorts of "evidence"
to question the historical veracity of Genesis, or do we follow the lead
of those like Jesus and Paul and Peter, who showed unquestioned faith in
the book? Indeed, to question the veracity of Genesis means to question the
veracity of the New Testament, which time and again refers to Genesis. How
reliable could the New Testament be if it were all wrong about Genesis? As
we can see, once we start questioning the historical veracity of the Genesis
account, the whole edifice of faith crumbles. Which, of course, is exactly
what Satan wants.

What other examples can you find of how doubt regarding what might
seem like a "small" thing can, if taken to its logical conclusion, lead to
doubt about major things, as well? Why, then, should we be so careful regarding
our trust in the Bible as the Word of God? After all, once you start doubting
the Bible, what's left?

MONDAY

October 2

The Mighty and Mercifu God

The book of Genesis is first and foremost a revelation of God. In Genesis,
humanity is given its first written revelation about our Creator and Redeemer.

The first book of the Bible rings with the might and power of God. He is
seen as the Creator, Judge, Exemplar, Sustainer, Most High, Almighty, and
Everlasting God. As the Sovereign, He not only exists before everything but
also brings everything into existence.

And yet, there's so much more revealed about God here. Even in some of the
Genesis accounts about judgment we can see His mercy; His sufferings over
humanity's sin; His great patience. Before the Flood came, He had Noah preach
many long years, giving everyone an opportunity to be saved. Even with Sodom
and Gomorrah, despite their great wickedness, He was willing to spare them,
if possible. All through Genesis we can see the might and power of a merciful,
loving God who, despite His hatred of sin and evil, loves His fallen creatures
and seeks to redeem them.

Write one short paragraph about your understanding of what God is
like. What does your answer reveal about your view of God? Be prepared to
share your answer in class.

>
TUESDAY

October 3

Close Encounters

Genesis, we saw yesterday, depicts God as all-powerful, the One who spoke
the world into existence, the One who could bring a flood upon the whole
earth, and who could rain fire down on rebellious and violent cities. As
humans, looking out at the expanse of the creation, how could we not be in
awe at the incredible power of the God who created all things?

Yet, the Bible also depicts God as up close and personal; that is, unlike
the god of deism, who creates the world and then goes off to leave it on
its own, the God revealed in the Bible has been intimately associated with
fallen beings. We see this most powerfully in the life and death of Jesus
(see
Phil.
2:5-8). And yet, even back in Genesis, we are given glimpses of the
closeness with which God interacts with His fallen beings. Kind of a nice
thought, isn't it, especially if you view God as loving and compassionate.

In
the following examples, how do we see God closely
interacting with humanity? What does each account tell us about the character
of God?

In what ways have you personally experienced the reality of God's
nearness? In class, share with others what the experience was like and what
you learned from it. Do it in a way that will help encourage others who might
not yet have experienced the reality of a God who can be so near to us.

WEDNESDAY

October 4

Foundations

In
Acts
6 a Jewish believer, Stephen, a man "full of faith and power" who did
"great wonders and miracles"
(Acts
6:8) was hauled before a council of leaders for preaching and promoting
Jesus.
Acts
7 then begins with him giving the speech that would, when done, lead
to his death by stoning (see
Acts
7).

Read
the speech of Stephen in
Acts
7:2-17 and then answer the following
questions:

1. Does Stephen appear to have any questions about the authenticity of
the stories he is recounting? What lesson is here for us?

2. Where is he getting these stories from?

3. What's the purpose of his telling these stories as part of his defense
of his belief in Jesus?

If you look at the context, Stephen is being challenged for his preaching
that Jesus is the Messiah. And he starts his defense back in Genesis, with
the call to Abraham; he then traces the family history from him up through
Joseph in Egypt to the founding of the nation of Israel and the building
of the temple itself. All of which culminated in the coming of "the Just
One"
(Acts
7:52), Jesus of Nazareth.

The point is that Stephen uses Genesis as the starting point for the great
truths that climaxed in Jesus, "the truth"
(John
14:6). These Jews, who formed the core of the church, had a firm
foundation for their faith in Jesusand that was the Holy Scriptures,
of which Genesis was the starting point. Hence, we can see the important
role this book should play in our own understanding of what we believe, as
well.

What are some of the "foundations" in your own life, basic things
upon which so much else rests? How firm are these foundations? Are you sure
they are firm enough to hold you even during the weightiest of trials?

THURSDAY

October 5

The Just Shall Live by Faith

"For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith:
as it is written, The just shall live by faith"
(Rom.
1:17).

Write
out your understanding of the above text.

It's often heard that in Old Testament times believers in the Lord were saved
by works of the law and that after the death of Jesus and the beginning of
the Christian church they began to be saved by faith alone. Yet, that's not
Bible teaching, not in the Old or New Testament. According to the New Testament,
God's people lived by faith even from the beginning.

Read
Hebrews
11:1-22, an inspired account of the lives of some of those found in Genesis.
How does what you read there harmonize with
Romans
1:17? As you read about each person, place yourself in their position
and ask yourself what it was they were having to take on faith; that is,
what they were needing to trust God on. What lessons can you learn from their
experiences that can help you with whatever you are going through right
now?

Go back to
Hebrews
11:13-16. What are those verses talking about? In what ways can you relate
to what's being said there? Look at your own life and ask, What do my actions
say regarding what country I am seeking? What changes might you need to be
making in your journey?

FRIDAY

October 6

Further
Study:

"The work of higher criticism, in dissecting, conjecturing, reconstructing,
is destroying faith in the Bible as a divine revelation. It is robbing God's
word of power to control, uplift, and inspire human lives. By spiritualism,
multitudes are taught to believe that desire is the highest law, that license
is liberty, and that man is accountable only to himself. . . .

"The power of a higher, purer, nobler life is our great need."Ellen
G. White, The Acts of the Apostles,
pp. 474, 478.

"Night, dark and portentous, is enclosing the Christian world. Apostasy from
God's commandments is evidence of this night, deep, dark, and apparently
impenetrable. Systems that make the truth of God of none effect are cherished.
Men are teaching for doctrine the commandments of men; and their assertions
are taken as truth. The people have received man-made theories. So the gospel
is perverted, and the Scripture misapplied. As in the days of Christ, the
light of truth is pushed into the background. Men's theories and suppositions
are honoured before the word of the Lord God of hosts. The truth is counteracted
by error. The word of God is wrested, divided, and distorted by higher criticism.
Jesus is acknowledged, only to be betrayed by a kiss. Apostasy exists, and
will enclose the world till the last. Its hideous character and darkening
influence will be seen in the maddening draughts dealt out from
Babylon."Ellen G. White, Bible Echo,Feb. 1, 1897.

Discussion
Questions:

Discuss the Ellen White quotes listed above. What kind
of influences in your society are working against the authority of the
Scriptures? How can we, as a people, protect ourselves and others from these
sentiments?

In
class, read your paragraphs regarding what each person believes God is like.
Discuss your answers and what you can learn from each other.

Talk about your answer to the question at the end of Wednesday's
lesson. What can you learn from others' experiences regarding the closeness
of God? How would you explain to a nonbeliever what it means when we say
that "God is close" to us?

I
N S I D E
Story

The Letters That Changed a Village by BIKILA MERGA

A letter from an isolated area of Ethiopia leads to a new group of
believers.

Adventist World Radio's program producer in Ethiopia, Temesgen Bulti, received
a listener letter that made him take note. The listener, who lives in an
isolated area several hours from the capital city of Addis Ababa, asked for
clarification regarding the Sabbath and the Holy Spirit's manifestation in
Christian churches.

Bulti answered the listener's questions and sent literature in his language.
The listener learned more Bible truths and confronted his pastor with questions.
"Why do we worship on Sunday, contrary to the Bible?" he asked. Their pastor
could not answer the question, and, realizing where his member had learned
about the Sabbath, traveled to AWR's studios in Addis Ababa to get answers.

In response, AWR aired more programs designed to answer the questions and
specific needs of the people in this community, including further information
on the Sabbath. The congregation closed their church on Sunday and began
worshiping on Saturday. They sent elders to Addis Ababa with a petition to
be recognized as a Sabbath-keeping congregation. Bulti referred them to the
Central Ethiopian field office.

Church leaders promised to come and hold meetings in the village. A team
made the difficult journey to the village, including a five-hour hike from
the nearest road.

"Church members were so excited when we arrived that they carried our luggage
[and even] the generator all the way to their village," Bulti says.

More than five hundred people attended the evening meetings, many of them
sleeping in tents so they would not miss a meeting. Following the meetings,
185 people were baptized and another 350 committed their lives to the Lord
and will join the Seventh-day Adventist Church soon. Members of other churches
want to become Seventh-day Adventists too. The church headquarters in Ethiopia
plans to build a church for these new believers.

Until the evangelistic meetings, there had been no Seventh-day Adventist
presence in this area, more than one hundred miles (one hundred fifty kilometers)
north of Addis Ababa. This is an area that has proven difficult to enter
because of the strong hold by the traditional church of Ethiopia. Recently
listener interest has increased significantly, judging by the number of letters
the station receives. AWR plans to follow up with materials produced for
each language group.

Our mission offerings make possible the work of Adventist World Radio in
Ethiopia and around the world.

BIKILA MERGA is communication director for the Ethiopia Union Mission
in Addis Ababa.